RondosHow to use Spain’s secret weapon

Possession Style

The possession style of play is synonymous with teams like Barcelona,

Villarreal and the Spanish national team, and it’s no coincidence that Rondo’s

are an integral part of their training methodology. First we need to understand

what the possession style of play is and that it isn’t “pass, pass, pass” like

many think.

The possession style is when a team tries to take control of the match by

having more possession than the opposition, both in offensive & defensive

phases of play. When you set out to play this style and you want to have more

possession than the opposition, but it’s not possession for the sake of it. The

intention is to keep the ball while you set up you tactical plans or positional

attacks, rather than surrender the ball to the opposition. When we see team like

Barcelona playing short passes back & forth in the midfield it’s not just to attain

great pass completion stats; but to move the opposition, either to create space

for a pass or to expose a tactical weakness to exploit.

When using this style of play it doesn’t mean we pass over all options. The first

thought is to run forward or dribble with the ball if we can and not to tell our

player to pass every time they have the ball.

Defensive or Offensive?

Some people question whether using the possession style is defensive or

offensive and the answer is it’s BOTH!

The idea is to do everything with the ball. If your team is comfortable in possession you can defend by keeping possession and circulating the ball around, but you can also keep possession in order to wait until players are in the correct position to attack. We can also circulate the ball to move the opposition and create space. Whether possession is defensive or offensive is dependent on many things and not decided by just having possession.

Here is a quote from Pep Guardiola about possession at Barcelona:

“What I learned here is everything starts with the ball and ends with the ball. Sometimes we forget that it’s a game of 11v11 with ONE ball. We try to keep this ball, we try to play with the ball; we try to make everything with the ball. This is what we learn when we start as boy here.”

Train Like You Play

One of the important aspects of your training is making sure that it is done with

your playing style and tactical plans in mind. Using rondo’s is a fantastic way to

integrate the possession style of play with your team and, as we will see, help

with technical, tactical and positional aspects of your teams overall play.

Using rondo’s is not the only way to train and if you use a more direct or counter

attacking style of play then there are better training forms that you can use in

order to teach your players the style of play you hope to play in matches.

When you’re planning your sessions, try to create the the pictures that you want

to see in the game so that your players can recognise and react to things they

have practices time & time again. This is one of the most important aspects of

using rondos both for a technical and tactical point of view. This is also why there

are popular ways to set up and structure rondos within your training sessions.

You will see in the diagrams that the players used with be specific to the aspect

of play we want to work on

“Entrena como quieras jugar” – Juan Carlos Garrido

What are Rondos?

Rondos are usually set up in a grid of varying size, which can be anything from

8x8 to a half pitch depending on the skill level of the players or the aspect of

play you want to work on. There are always players “in the middle” with the

team in possession usually having numerical superiority either though given

number of players or with the use of neutral players/jokers.

There are often thought of as only a technical practice because the main aim is

to keep possession away from the defenders and the technical aspects of

rondos are there for all to see, but we can also set up rondos to work on many

tactical and positional aspects of play; albeit in a condensed setting.

There are popular set ups for rondos because of the relevance to in game

situations. The most popular are: 3v1, 4v2, 5v2 & 6v3. There are many other

set ups but these are the most used.

“Rondo, Rondo, Rondo. Every. Single. Day. It’s the best exercise there is” – Xavi Hernandez

Technical Advantages

This presentation is aimed at showing the tactical and positional work you can

work on with rondos but the technical improvements player can achieve when

using them cannot be ignored:

One and two touch passing

It’s easy as a coach to stipulate how many touches players can take but

rondos help create the environment where 1 or 2 touches is all you can have.

Rhythm of play and tempo

Rondos can help players understand when to play quickly and when to put

their foot on the ball and slow things down depending on how close the

opposition player is.

Improved control

Playing in such tight spaces forces your players to have a good first touch and

also realise if they need to take a first touch away from a player.

“If god wanted us to play football in the sky, he’d have put grass up there” – Brian Clough

Technical Advantages

Short Passing

When using a possession style of play, the majority of your passes will usually

be 12 yards and under. Using rondos gives your players lot of practice playing

passes at this distance under pressure.

Constant Movement and Passing Lines

Many coaches want more movement from their teams and through the use of

rondos players will be used to constant movement, whether it’s 2 yards or 10

yards. This also helps players with the understanding of passing lanes and how

to move in to give a team mate a free passing lane.

Improvisation

Not all passes are perfect and rondos can help players learn to improvise if a

pass is short or played harder than expected. Most Spanish players can play

passes with any surface of their bodies.

“In a small space a player has to be able to act quickly. A good player who needs too much time can

suddenly become a bad player” – Johan Cruyff

Technical Advantages

Recognise when and where to overload

We are going to read about the importance of overloads later, but using rondos

in training can help players understand when, where and how to overload an

area to retain possession or expose a weakness in the opposition to attack.

Habits and Repetition

When using rondos players are under pressure at all times and need to play

with one & two touches and that becomes habit that they always use. The

same goes for the movement to open up passing line for their teammate.

Through the contact repetition these things become habit.

Grid Size

When we first start using rondos the grid size is adapted to suit the level of our

players, but as they become more advanced the grid sizes become more

significant. Teams like Barcelona & Villarreal want to be playing passes 10

yards and less, and when all the players are this distance apart, they can press

the ball intensely should they lose possession.

“If you want to play quicker you can run faster, but the ball decides the speed of the game” – Cruyff

Warm Up Rondos

Warm Up’s

This is a commonly used rondo

warm up & probably the most

familiar to what most people think

rondos are.

The most common way to use this

is have 2 players in the middle and

if either set of outside players make

10 passes the middle two need to

sprint to the other circle and start

again there.

If either middle player wins the ball

the outside player who lost it and

the player who passed to him go

into the middle.

Full Team Warm up Rondo

Players make a circle with 2 or 3

players “in the middle”.

Goalkeepers are usually involved in

this exercise too.

Using one or two touches the

outside players keep possession.

There are many variations using

different combinations of passes to

test the players.

The pass through the middle of the

defenders is the desired option

when available

1st/2nd/3rd Line Passing

In the previous slide we seen a team rondo with 3 different passes shown.

These type of passes are important to the context of not only rondos but to the

possession style of play. They are referred to as 1st, 2nd & 3rd line passes

First Line Pass

This refers to a pass that is usually to the teammate on either side of you and

doesn’t bypass a defender

Second Line Pass

This is a pass which goes past the defenders but not through the space in the

between them.

Third Line Pass

This is the pass that goes between the two defenders and is often referred to

as the “Split Pass” This is the option you want your players to look for and

create.

Team Shape and Positions

There is no right or wrong formation

but for the positional rondos in the

next section the numbers used are

referring to a certain position in the 1-

4-3-3 formation:

1. Goalkeeper

2. Right Fullback

3. Left Fullback

4. Defensive Midfielder

5. Centre Back

6. Centre Back

7. Right Winger

8. Central Midfielder

9. Centre Forward

10.Central Midfielder

11.Left Winger

Passing Lines

The picture below shows the passing line available in the 1-4-3-3 formation

in game form. Yellow lines are diagonal passes, blue are horizontal and red

are vertical.

Slide from Barcelona Philosophy & Vision presentation by Luiz Lainz

Rondo Shape in Match Formation

This picture shows the potential

rondos that could appear when playing

out from the back in a 1-4-3-3

formation.

You can see that we have potential

overloads in every area of the field

and that if another opposition player

enters that are we have a teammate

close enough to drop in to create

another overload in our favour

For example in the centre our midfield

we have two 3v1’s but if our No 9

drops it becomes a 4v2

The Importance of Overloads

Many people believe that players only have to be good technically and have some kind of support in order to retain possession or to play a possession style of play. The most commonly misunderstood aspect of the possession style of play is the need to create overloads all over the pitch.

An overload is when you have more players than the opposition in the particular area of the field you are playing in. This is one of the main reasons playing with only one striker has become popular, because teams want to overload the midfield.

Coaches and managers can set up their teams to have an overload in a particular area, like midfield, but you need to coach your players to have the tactical intelligence to know when to move “out of position” to create an overload.

We seen in the last slide how rondos can appear in match form and how we can create overloads in each area. These are not exhaustive solutions and players need to be able to understand when/how to create an overload anywhere

Positional/Tactical Rondos

3v1 Inside Square

This 3v1 rondo can be done with

any 3 combining players but the

midfield 3 are shown.

The objective is to keep the

triangle shape through out by

passing and reacting to passes.

Here the number 4 starts with the

ball and passes to the number 8.

as the ball is travelling the

number 10 runs to the free cone

to maintain the triangle overload

shape.

3v1 Rondo Inside Square

This 3v1 is done inside the square

and is usually harder for the players

because they don’t have the cones to

guide them how to keep the triangle

shape.

The aim is to keep the triangle

overload shape at all time despite

being free to move around the area.

4 starts with the ball and passes to 8,

as 8 passes to 10 our number 4

needs to move 2/3 yards to maintain

the shape & open the passing line

The middle player works for 30secs

before changing with teammate

4v2 Playing out from the back

The players used in this 4v2 can

work on playing out from the back

and understanding how to work with

each other. Players used GK, 2CB &

DM

You can set the defenders up to

press as they would in a game and

try to prevent the forward pass to the

No 4.

1 passes to 5 but 5 is closed down

so plays back to 1, who then plays

the 3rd line/Split pass to the No 4

who recycles possession to the No 6

who moved accordingly.

4v2 Midfield Combinations

If you think back to the Rondos in

match form slide, this rondo could be

our midfield 3 with our CF in the

centre of the pitch

4 starts with the ball and plays a 2nd

line pass to 8, who plays it back and

opens up the space between the

defenders allowing 4 to play a 3rd line

pass to 9. our No 9 plays to 10 and

the rest of the players move

accordingly.

5v3 Playing out from the back

Another example of how to use rondos

to help players understand how to play

out from the back and switch play to

the other side. This time there are 3

defenders and we have a player in the

area too. Players used are CB, 2 FB’s,

DM & CM.

5 starts with the ball and plays a 2nd

line pass to 3 who plays a 3rd line pass

to 4 who plays first time to 5 who has

moved in reaction to the pass. 5 plays

to 2 and we play to the furthest play

and recycle possession.

5v3 Switching Play

Example of how to use a rondo to

work on switch of play. This

example is showing defenders but

we could set this up with wingers &

CF on the outside.

Area is split into two halves with the

aim being to make 5+ passes in

one side before switching the ball

3 starts with the ball and passes to

4 who drops between the

defenders to play a first time pass

to 8 who plays back to 3. 3 passes

to 5 who plays first time pass to 4

who switches play to other side.

Midfield 3 Switch/Forward Play

This rondo works with our

midfielders on two different

aspects. We have our midfield 3 in

the middle with 2 sets of

neutrals/jokers.

Coach asks red team to play for

the switch of play to the blue

jokers & the other team to try and

play forward to the green Jokers.

We have 5v3 in possession &

players inside can rotate/move

freely but are encouraged to

maintain shape/balance. When

ball is lost team must stop the

other team from playing forward.

6v3 Playing out from the back

Playing out from the back under high

pressure and using 3 defenders

which could represent a front 3 if

you play against teams using a 1-4-

3-3 formation.

We are using our GK, back 4 and

our DM.

1 starts with the ball and the

movement of 5 creates space to

play to 3 and then we can play out

and retain possession

6v3 Playing through midfield

A more attacking set up which

can easily be moved on to

become a combination/finishing

practice on the field.

We have our midfield 3, wingers

& centre forward.

The aim is to combine with

teammates to play through the

midfield and play to the centre

forward. The example shown

could also be a switch of play to

attack

6v3 to finish

This is how we can take the previous

rondo, put it into on field context and

add a finishing element to bed in the

players’ knowledge.

The set up is the same except we

have to opposition defenders who are

only involved once the play has come

out of the rondo.

We start with our 4 and aim to make 3-

5 passes inside before we play wide &

the exercise becomes a 3v2 to finish

with our 9, 7 & 11 attacking the goal.

Positional Rondo

This is a position specific rondo

exercise that can be set up with two

teams or using only one team on

the outside & our DM inside.

In this set up we are working on our

midfield and how they combine &

create overloads using the outside

players. This also gives our midfield

game realistic scenarios like the CF

playing back for a shot on goal.

In the example we see the midfield

create to overloads to fashion a

shot on goal

3 Zone Game

This rondo could also be a SSG but

the aim of this is for the players to

start to recognise the rondo/overload

shapes in a more match orientated

format.

If we think back to the rondos on the

pitch slide we can begin to create

these shapes in this kind of setting

before moving onto the full size field.

The aim in to keep possession and

play through the zone to get a shot

on goal when the time is right. The

outside players are wingers/fullbacks

and can help in any zone without

going outside.

How To Integrate Rondos

We have seen what rondos are, how they appear in matches, warm ups, tactical & positional examples and the technical advantages of using them. But how do we integrate them into our training?

We can introduce rondos as early as 8years old and keep the set ups we use to the basic forms of 3v1 & 4v2 without restricting touches and playing inside the grids, with the players free to move around before we move on to more advanced rondos.

We can use rondos every day, especially the more basic forms, and by doing this you will see the technique of the players improving. The more tactical rondos will depend on the aspect of play you’re currently working on with your team.

Rondos don’t need to be the main part of your session and can be used after the warm up to begin to bed in certain aspects, under pressure in a condensed setting, before moving onto a bigger field or an attack v defence practice.

How To Integrate Rondos

Defensive aspects can also be worked on using rondos and usually in the same set ups as seen in the attacking aspects. The difference is the level of detail you give to the defending players. Most coaches who use rondos for an attacking topic want realistic defending anyway, so the attacking players are seeing realistic pictures. Many coaches who use rondos, do so when they first start working on pressing from the front, as putting 3 forwards in the middle, as defenders, allows a coach to work on their shape first before adding the midfield and defence in a bigger practice.

A number of people have asked how using rondos and seeing them in a match affects team shape. The answer is it doesn’t affect it more than anything else. Players should be reacting to the position of the ball and keep the team shape while circulating the ball. If the ball is moving the team is moving.

“Technique is not being able juggle the ball 1000 times. Anyone can do that by practicing. Technique is

passing the ball with one touch, with the right speed, at the right foot of your teammate” - Cryuff

Examples of Rondos in Matches

5v2 Playing out from the back

3v1 – Switching Play

3v1 to 4v2 Playing Out

3v1 Through Ball

DM Moves to Create Overload

4v2 Playing Out

CF Drops to Create Overload

Thank you for readingI hope it’s given some basic insight into

how to use Spain secret weapon

Kieran Smith

@Kieransmith1coachkieransmith.blogspot.com.es

“La intencion es no mover la pelota, sino a move la oposicion” – Pep

Guardiola